Saturday, January 31st, thousands of protestors gathered at Seattle Central College on Capital Hill in Seattle to protest recent ICE activity in the Seattle area.
The event was put on by Seattle educators who oppose ICE in school communities and schools themselves. The demonstration began with a rally which included several speakers, organized chanting, and music.
Following the initial demonstration, protestors took to the streets and marched towards the Federal Building. Protestors with megaphones led chants of “F*ck ICE” and “No hate, no fear, immigrants are welcome here” as the procession marched in a wave of anti-ICE signage and shouts.
As the protest moved forward, police scrambled to close the streets ahead of the marchers. Traffic was majorly disrupted as a wave of people surged into intersections and cut off side streets, none of which had been closed off or redirected since the number of protestors far surpassed initial predictions.
The protest ended peacefully around 3:30, two and a half hours after it began. This protest was followed by a wave of high school walkouts the next week, demonstrating growing public unrest with ICE in the Seattle area.
This unrest has had the dual effects of unifying the larger Seattle community under a common banner and creating an environment of fear and uncertainty. The effectiveness of these demonstrations and the impact ICE will have in the area remain uncertain.